Youngsters probably don't know that a long time ago, chimpanzees were sent into space in NASA rockets before astronauts got the chance to go. But they will certainly know more about that historical fact after seeing the ve... more &raquory clever and funny Space Chimps, a computer-animated film in which primates are sent off-planet once again by a space agency. When a probe from Earth gets zapped into a wormhole and ends up in the hands of a wannabe tyrant (voiced by Jeff Daniels) on a distant planet, a chimp crew is thrust in that same direction to see what's up. The simian team includes a by-the-book commander (Patrick Warburton), a brilliant scientist (Cheryl Hines), and a wild card named Ham III (Andy Samberg), a circus chimp whose grandfather happened to be an astronaut legend in the old space program. The script by Kirk De Micco and Robert Moreland is like a string of lighted firecrackers: rapid-fire puns, wisecracks, and blink-and-you'll-miss-them visual gags that will appeal to every age. De Micco, making his directorial debut, keeps the comic engine humming, but he also supervises radically different art direction schemes underscoring how different Earth is from the Seussian-like planet on which Ham and the other visitors find themselves. Ratcheting up the humor even more are three NASA-nerds harboring party animals within their pocket-protector-covered hearts, and a funny performance by Stanley Tucci (Big Night) as an imperious senator. --Tom Keogh&laquo less

Movie Reviews

Space Chimps

Arnita D. Brown | USA | 03/11/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ham III is the grandson of Ham, the first-ever chimp astronaut. This ne'er-do-well chimp may not be the most qualified ape for the job, but a scheming senator has recruited him for a most dangerous mission. It seems that a powerful tyrant has overtaken an alien world, and now it's up to Ham III and his trusty simian crew to help overthrow the deep-space despot. There's nothing complicated about "Space Chimps". It's a simple tale of 3 chimps sent to outer space and somehow end up on a strange and unmanned planet. Your kids will like this movie, but it's quite boring for the grown ups."